Greatest Canadian player ever

Never heard of Berdard or Reed
I know the CO is one of the best events after majors and ranks up there along Rome,Hamburg,Barcelona,Montecarlo,Philadelphia,Boston,Indy,Cincinnati,Johamnesburg,Wembley and Stockholm in historical terms

Canada's number one, Bob Bedard, beat America's number one, Whitney Reed in the 1958 Canadian final.
By the way, the Canadian was a significant tournament, and included many famous names among its champions. Bedard won in 1955, 1957 (beating Krishnan in the final), and 1958 (beating Whitney Reed, U.S. #1, in the final).
Champions of this event in men's singles read like a who's-who of all-time tennis greats, including Parker, Emerson, Santana, Laver, Krishnan, Whitney Reed, Cliff Richey, Newcombe, Okker, Orantes, Nastase, Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Gerulaitas, Becker, Michael Chang, Rafter, Federer, Djokovic, Murray, Nadal, Agassi, Safin, Lendl. Beals Wright, William Larned, Jimmy Evert (Chris' father).
The greatest final: 1964, Emerson lost the first two sets to Stolle, but won at 6-4 in the fifth set.
Rosewall teamed with Laver to win the doubles in 1973 (beating Newcombe and Davidson).
Bedard's name stands proudly among them.

Click to expand...

I should add Mervyn Rose, Dick Savitt, Ron Holmberg and others to the above list of Canadian champions.
A very strong list of champions, superior to some of the major championships.

Canada's number one, Bob Bedard, beat America's number one, Whitney Reed in the 1958 Canadian final.
By the way, the Canadian was a significant tournament, and included many famous names among its champions. Bedard won in 1955, 1957 (beating Krishnan in the final), and 1958 (beating Whitney Reed, U.S. #1, in the final).
Champions of this event in men's singles read like a who's-who of all-time tennis greats, including Parker, Emerson, Santana, Laver, Krishnan, Whitney Reed, Cliff Richey, Newcombe, Okker, Orantes, Nastase, Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Gerulaitas, Becker, Michael Chang, Rafter, Federer, Djokovic, Murray, Nadal, Agassi, Safin, Lendl. Beals Wright, William Larned, Jimmy Evert (Chris' father).
The greatest final: 1964, Emerson lost the first two sets to Stolle, but won at 6-4 in the fifth set.
Rosewall teamed with Laver to win the doubles in 1973 (beating Newcombe and Davidson).
Bedard's name stands proudly among them.

Click to expand...

Another great final was in 1971, when Newcombe defeated Okker on clay in the final, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6. This was a magnificently played final, with Newcombe showing his best ground strokes on the clay surface against a fired-up Okker.

WCT hosted a lot of events in Canada, even in not so major cities such as Quebec City,Ottawa,Winnipeg and Vancouver.In the 70´s, canadian fans would get a big deal of the best tennis indoors...

Click to expand...

The first big event was the O'Keefe Invitational International Championships held in 1956 in Toronto, with a strong list of well-known players, plus the top eight Canadians, none of whom won a match (the reigning Canadian champion, Bedard, lost to Hugh Stewart). Hoad defeated Davidson in the final in a four-set match.
This inaugural event proved to be the template for all future Canadian Opens, and beginning in 1957, important players were "persuaded" to participate.
This makes Bedards' wins in 1957 and 1958 all the more impressive, as he had to beat Krishnan and Reed to win the title.

i heard that Bob Brett was working with Tennis Canada for a number of years. is he considered to have played a substantial role in the positive development of canadian tennis in the last few years?

Click to expand...

Yes, he spends about 120 days per year with the junior programs in Canada, especially under-14, since about 2007.
He would have helped develop both Raonic and Peliwo and Bouchard, the last two this year's junior Wimbledon champions, and Peliwo also won the U.S. Open Junior championship.
It looks like he has contributed a lot.

Yes, he spends about 120 days per year with the junior programs in Canada, especially under-14, since about 2007.
He would have helped develop both Raonic and Peliwo and Bouchard, the last two this year's junior Wimbledon champions, and Peliwo also won the U.S. Open Junior championship.
It looks like he has contributed a lot.

Click to expand...

he is one coach i´d like to have in my program. serious, no nonsense with loads of experience at the highest level

Quebec has to decide (as they already have in several referenda) whether or not they want to pay the severe penalties of independence, including a fractured Quebec with new borders. So far, they have said NO.
Various independence movements have fared poorly in other countries as well, such as the USA.

Raonic is 2 wins and 1 defeat against Murray.
Peliwo holds both the Wimbledon and U.S. Open junior titles for this year, and is number one in the world for juniors.
The future looks bright.

Click to expand...

True it looks bright but in Peliwo's case junior success does not always translate to
he adult tours, look at players like Young and Cara Black. Both excellent in junior singles..
Black did diddly as an adult and Young is a floundering fish. Lil early to call him great

True it looks bright but in Peliwo's case junior success does not always translate to
he adult tours, look at players like Young and Cara Black. Both excellent in junior singles..
Black did diddly as an adult and Young is a floundering fish. Lil early to call him great

2) Bob Bedard
Last Canadian to win the Canadian championship 1955, 1957, 1958 defeating in the finals Ramanathan Krishnan (World #3) and Whitney Reed (U.S.A. #1)
Davis Cup greatest success in 1961, defeating both Llamas and Osuna (World #1) in singles
Defeated Emerson (World #1) at Queens Club 1958
Won a set off Hoad at Wimbledon 1954, lost 3 matches to Hoad in Slam events (Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Forest Hills) lost to both Hoad and Rosewall in 1955 Davis Cup

3) Mike Belkin
Rated #7 in world in early 1960's
Davis Cup record 14 wins 7 defeats in singles

4) Daniel Nestor
Defeated world #1 Edberg in five sets in 1992 Davis Cup singles
Won numberless doubles titles, all four slam events and world titles

5) Greg Rusedski
U.S. Open runnerup 1997
Ranked #4 in world
Dual citizen, played Davis Cup for Britain

6) Milos Raonic
Current world #14
Defeated Murray at Japan Open 2012 (career record 2 wins 1 defeat against Murray)

7) Filip Peliwo
Current 2012 Wimbledon and U.S. Open Junior Champion
World Junior #1 2012

Canada has not been a hotbed of tennis until recently, but the above is an honourable list.
I would rate Bob Bedard as all-time number 1, but this could change if Raonic or Peliwo continue to develop.

Click to expand...

This list must be revised in light of Canada's recent thrashing of Spain in the Davis Cup.
The great performance of Frank Dancevic (world rank #166) in outclassing the world #34 for Spain in a performance described by John McEnroe as "the greatest tennis I have ever seen", a truly hot performance, must put Dancevic in the top ten of Canadian players.

This list must be revised in light of Canada's recent thrashing of Spain in the Davis Cup.
The great performance of Frank Dancevic (world rank #166) in outclassing the world #34 for Spain in a performance described by John McEnroe as "the greatest tennis I have ever seen", a truly hot performance, must put Dancevic in the top ten of Canadian players.

Next up: Italy in the quarter-finals.

Click to expand...

Oh,yes, Frank Dancevic df. Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-2, 6-2.
That is, the #166 player demolished the #34 player.
Dancevic, age 28, has not had a coach in recent years, apart from his father.

Quebec has to decide (as they already have in several referenda) whether or not they want to pay the severe penalties of independence, including a fractured Quebec with new borders. So far, they have said NO.
Various independence movements have fared poorly in other countries as well, such as the USA.

Breakaway movements right now that I have read about in Hawaii, the southewest (aztlan), a black breakaway movement in the southern states (New Afrika), white groups in the northwest and Vermont has something also.

Raonic becomes the first player since Tony Trabert in 1953-55 to win San Jose three years in a row, beating Querry and Haas in the last two rounds, and not losing his serve in the entire tournament.
Raonic leads Murray 2 to 1 lifetime.

Raonic becomes the first player since Tony Trabert in 1953-55 to win San Jose three years in a row, beating Querry and Haas in the last two rounds, and not losing his serve in the entire tournament.
Raonic leads Murray 2 to 1 lifetime.

Click to expand...

The match with Querry might be a preliminary for the possible Davis Cup encounter between Canada and the USA in the semifinals.

I should mention that Bedard has the distinction of winning a set off both Hoad and Rosewall.
He took a set off Hoad at Wimbledon in 1954, and a set off Rosewall in the 1955 Davis Cup. Not bad for someone still learning the game.

Click to expand...

I have found some more stats for Bob Bedard which support his stature as the greatest ever Canadian player.

For one, he defeated the number one player from 15 different countries, including the USA and Australia.

I really had no idea.I just have a personnal vision of Von Cramm as a true junker who hated nazis but was himself a member of the social elite, looked to me a true german romantic character.He had great courage though and I respect that.

I really had no idea.I just have a personnal vision of Von Cramm as a true junker who hated nazis but was himself a member of the social elite, looked to me a true german romantic character.He had great courage though and I respect that.

Click to expand...

Von Cramm had contacts in the German underground during WWII, and was probably saved from the Gestapo death machine because of his close friendship with the King of Sweden. Hitler needed Swedish neutrality during the war.

Here's the entry from the 1915 editon of "Ayres' Lawn Tennis Almanack" on Robert B. Powell, probably the most successful Canadian lawn tennis player before World War One:

"Powell, Robert Branks. B. Victoria, British Columbia, April 2, 1881. (Private Secretary to Sir H. Joly de Lotbiniere, K.C.M.G., Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, 1900-1904; in charge of arrangements in connection with the visit of Prince and Princess of Wales to B.C., 1901, when he was attached to staff of Lord Minto, Governor-General of Canada; appointed to Government Service in Fiji, 1904; employed on Governor's Staff and on Western Pacific High Commission, 1905-1906; passed final examination for the English Bar, May 1909; Fellow of Royal Colonial Institute.)

"Learnt lawn tennis on father's courts at Victoria; was four times champion of British Columbia; won Champ. of Pacific N.W. States of America, 1901; Champ. of State of Oregon, 1904; founded North Pacific L.T.A. (embracing Western States of America and British Columbia clubs), and won Association's first Internat. Champ. at Victoria, 1904; Singles Champs. of Fiji, 1905-6; in semi-final All-Comers' Singles at Wimbledon, won Champ. of Scotland (singles and doubles), singles at Vienna (defeating M. Decugis), represented Canada in Olympic Games at Wimbledon, 1908; won Northern Champ. at Manchester, All England Plate at Wimbledon, Sussex Champ. at Brighton, Doubles at Eastbourne (with K. Powell), at Queen's Covered Courts (with M.J.G. Ritchie), and at Cannes (with F.G. Lowe), and in semi-final of Champ. Doubles at Wimbledon (with K. Powell), 1909; won Scottish Champ. and in final of Champ. Doubles (with K. Powell) and of mixed doubles with (with Mrs Sterry) at Wimbledon 1910; won Dawlish singles cup outright, 1913; member of English (Drive Club) team in South Africa, 1910-11; won mixed doubles at Dinard, singles at Dawlish, and represented London v. Paris at Auteuil, 1911; won doubles (with F.L. Riseley) at and mixed at Dinard and represented All England Club v. Germany at Wimbledon, 1912; captain of Canada v. South Africa at Queen's, v. Belgium at Folkestone, and v. America at Wimbledon (final round) in Davis Cup competition in 1913; represented Canada v. Australasia at Chicago, 1914.

"Is a keen horseman and has won amateur races on the flat in Canada and Fiji. Address: Victoria, B.C."
--

When World War One broke out, Robert B. Powell enlisted in the Canadian infantry and served with the 48th Canadian Infantry Battalion. He saw a lot of action at the front in France, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant. He was killed in action on April 28, 19197, during the Battle of Vimy Ridge. He was 36.
--

When World War One broke out, Robert B. Powell enlisted in the Canadian infantry and served with the 48th Canadian Infantry Battalion. He saw a lot of action at the front in France, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant. He was killed in action on April 28, 19197, during the Battle of Vimy Ridge. He was 36.
--

Thanks for this. Quite a record and quite a life.
The Canadian Corps was the only army in WWI that never retreated and never failed to gain an objective.